They party has spoken. No more sweeping 20-level story arcs. More "bounty/treasure/monster hunter" arcs. But I can't just sit back and throw 3rd party adventures at them. I want the world to MOVE. To change as they respond to it. And as it responds to them. I've made efforts to do this in the past and I keep improving but I ALSO like crunchy mechanics. I don't trust my instincts so I prefer some bounded guidance.
So I'm incorporating a few things that I touched on last campaign but that I feel can be kicked up a notch in this one. I'm stealing bits and pieces from several RPG's and stitching them together to form a Frankenstein's Monster of a crunchy system.
First, I had good luck LAST campaign incorporating "Aftermath" from the good folks at Worldspinner. Party indicated they might like a little more political intrigue so I'm overlaying and adapting "700 Lordly Houses." We'll see how it goes.
Second, I did a little incorporating of Fronts from Dungeon World. Tried a LITTLE of this last time but not full blown. The structure of 700 LH really lends itself to this mechanic and it can REALLY make for a dynamic world.
Third, Blades in the Dark is often credited with the innovative incorporation of countdown clocks. Tie THOSE into the dooms and portents from your Fronts and you've automated the running of a lot of "behind the curtain" stuff.
Fourth, Night's Black Agents (which I SERIOUSLY heard as Nice Black Asians!) has a nice escalating response logarithm called the Vampyramid. Active and re-active missions/operations provide some interesting guidelines and suggestions for fronts as well.
I've long used Sly Flourish's Lazy DM checklist and kept it on Notion but I'm leaning away from that for this campaign. I've looked at World Anvil and Scabard. Neither of them seems quite right but I COULD be swayed. Looking for something better. All the inputting seems to be a duplication of effort without enough savings. "The view isn't worth the climb."
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